The Land of Dawn (ML Fanfic)

37. sleeping buddy

Layla bolted upright from her bed as she sensed that a sharp thing has been poking her for quite a while.

She adjusted her eyes and blinked it several times before it got accustomed to the dark. She saw tiny blinking lights from the left side of her bed and the lights seem to be from something that's floating.

She instantaneously knew who or rather what it was. It was her tiny hovering aircraft friend, visiting her in the wee hours of the night. She guessed that it was already way past midnight judging from the stillness of the surroundings and the sound of crickers from outside.

Although there were no large windows on the headquarters, sounds from the outside were still audible.

She brought her feet down on the ground and used her soles to look for her slippers. She heard SE702 call the hovering craft Beta before, so she decided to call it the same way.

Beta's lights blinked once and then again and then in a split second, it went right past Layla, as it headed to somewhere.

Layla followed, curious as to why such a device has enough willpower and mental strength to maneuver itself.

Even if Beta was nothing but a machine, Layla sensed and knew that there was something rather special about the craft. Its as if it has life, a soul, a heart that could feel and understand. But if Layla looked close, she'd end up scolding herself for thinking about such peculiar possibilities.

She also wondered as to why the device knew Alpha. She even thought that it was Alpha whom the device was looking for when it lead her here to the headquarters. Beta was firm on its direction, seeming to follow a person that's important or rather significant to its existence.

With a lot of thought in her head, Layla decides to follow Beta even if she knew nothing about where the device was leading her.

After a series of turns in the quarters, Layla found herself standing in front of a huge laboratory. Majority of what her eyes can see where metal gurneys and large full screen monitors.

Volts and wires were spread across the walls of the room as it met on a common plug near a large metal gurney, or what seemed to be surgical bed.

She saw Alpha sitting on top of it fidgeting on something.

"Alpha, what are you doing here? It's late already. You should get some rest though." Layla said, as she took careful steps toward Alpha.

Upon hearing a familiar voice, his head shoot up and locked eyes with the woman who was approaching him.

He heard her ask him a question but her voice came on to him as a muffled sound. The only thing he could lay his attention on was Layla's calm and gentle face as she was little by little inching the palpable distance between them.

Beta was hovering above their heads as Layla grew confused by each second.

It would be weird if someone saw them at this situation.

When she was near him, she propped herself up and sat beside Alpha on the metal gurney.

"Tell me, you can't sleep?" She asked again, this time, determined to receive an answer. She even had a mischievous thought, thinking that she might slap Alpha if he wouldn't answer her question.

Alpha did nothing but nod, yet from the depths of his thoughts, he couldn't sleep just because he was new to the environment that he was in, he couldn't sleep because he had constant thoughts on his head about love and girls and life and how he would be in the future with the girl he will settle with.

That was all he thought about. He never had such thoughts before. Girls never mattered to him before. Love was never a topic he delved in. He was not this thoughtful, this soft before. And yet now, all he could do is think about such notions, such things.

"Well, its okay. I wouldn't say that I can't sleep but I had trouble sleeping a while ago too." Layla replied, trying to comfort him.

"What did you do to make yourself fall asleep?" Alpha suddenly asked, taking Layla off balance. She didn't expect that SE702 had a deep voice, let alone a manly voice.

Her heart fluttered and it was beating erratically. She wondered why.

"Hmm... I just close my eyes and pretend that my father is beside me. Then I'll feel safe. And that's where I fall asleep." She uttered, not realizing how lonely her method of letting slumber engulf her was. It almost seemed desperate. Too much longing evident.

Alpha heard what she said and he had a funny idea in his head.

"Can you sleep beside me just for tonight? I just want a companion." He blurted out, not caring about how he sounded. It was weird for him to ask a girl to sleep beside him, but it was worth the shot.

Layla mustered a genuinely jovial smile and replied: "Really? You want me to sleep beside you? Sure. Anything for you, mate!" Sounding rather clueless, naïve from the offer she just received.

Alpha's ears heard loud ringing bells as the word mate hit his eardrums. Surely he knew how to keep girls at bay.

But he knew he would like to take things slow with Layla for she was clueless and scarred and broken still. And guessing from her replies, she did not see Alpha as a potential love interest or whatnot, all he was was a mate, a companion, a fellow to fight beside with.

But he was happy still. At least his humanoid heart got him someone to accompany him when he is all afraid and unsure at the deepness of the night.  He didn't want to do anything vile to Layla, he just wanted a companion, someone warm to lay beside him. Just a soul to remind him that he isn't alone.

Just as he was about to lead Layla to his room, he was greeted by a baffled Hayabusa.

"What are you two doing at three in the morning?" Hayabusa asked, irritated that he was waken by such dimwits.

"Oh, Alpha couldn't sleep so I'm going to accompany him in his room just for tonight." Layla replied.

Hayabusa's mouth fell open.

"What the? Are you serious SE702? Are you asking a girl to sleep with you?!" Hayabusa whispered rather harshly.

Alpha was left aghast. He didn't mean for it to appear that way. "N...no. Of course not. I just wanted a companion. Nothing other than that." He replied, as awkward as always.

"Still! Layla is still new here and so are you and then you're pulling stunts like this already? Unbelievable! Layla, go to your room! Alpha, I'll sleep with you." Hayabusa said, sounding rather awkward on the last part of his statement.

And then the night was commmenced.